For who knows what reason, the opening line of a Michael Bolton classic randomly popped into my head earlier this week: “How can we be lovers if we can’t be friends?” And I thought Where did that come from? followed by That’s actually a damn good lyrical intro — and a valid question in general!
I grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, and this song received enough airplay on the local radio station my parents listened to in the car to imprint on me. Perhaps that’s why, at the age of nine, I ended up with Bolton’s 1991 album Time, Love & Tenderness on cassette tape. (I can see the dust puffing out from my knuckle creases as I type.) Imagine a preadolescent girl singing “When love puts you through the fire / When love puts you to the test / Nothing heals a broken heart / Like time, love and tenderness.” Makes me chuckle. I suspected “How Can We Be Lovers” was from that album, but I see it was actually from Bolton’s ’89 release Soul Provider. I didn’t have that tape.
These songs and their videos exemplify a slice of late-’80s aesthetic in full glory, including what must be in the running for best mullet. Plus, “How Can We Be Lovers” also has one of my favourite musical flairs: a key change. Put it all together with Bolton’s raspy pleading (man can sing), look into those blue eyes, and enjoy a ride through time.
A (Mostly) Music Blog 